Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Have
you ever seen a real pro coffee drinker?Someone who can four wheel drive, dodge traffic, park, shift, pass, and
occasionally jump small import cars while holding a cup – not a drop spilling
onto the console or their pants?This is
a remarkable thing to witness and an art I am starting to achieve some small
level of skill in.The expert grasps the
cup not too hard, not too soft.They
give and sway with motions cancelling out the violent changes in vehicle
direction and speed.The body acts as a
shock absorber not so much by responding to every change but by simply staying
fluid and relaxed.By allowing movement
stillness is achieved.Setting the cup
in a strong, stable, fixed position spells disaster.Even in the best of cup holders the hot bean-tea
will be splashed about making a mess, burning occupants and worse, wasting
coffee.It is the motion that allows
safety, and security does not come from strength or anchoring.

This of
course got me thinking about what Bruce Lee referred to as the tree of martial
arts.The tree has leaves, all of which
have value, but neither leaves nor branches should be regarded as the thing
itself.While each branch is an
expression of the tree, the tree comes up from roots.And these roots are of great concern to the
martial artist.You might call these
Universal Principles.The principles
manifest in the many branches of study, with some branches becoming specialized
in a certain expression.A rooted understanding
allows freedom and humility that benefits all who study.One of these Universal Principles must
certainly be; Mobility.

By
contemplating mobility at the root, trunk, branch, or leaf level we come to
understand it more fully and see how mobility is an asset.At the leaf level one might train how to get
up from the ground.Standing up in a
scientific, protected, defendable, balanced way under duress is a technical
endeavor.It must be practiced.Mobility might be related to footwork, how to
move quickly into opportunity, or escape harm.Mobility might be using a horse to cover ground or knowledge of the
landscape.For each principle that is an
asset there is an equal and opposite effect which is limiting that asset for
the enemy.Limiting mobility is
something to be considered and is exactly what my coffee taught me about today.

By
placing a lid on my coffee I was able to confine the mobility of the good stuff
to a small outlet, the sipping hole, and put one finger on it as needed for my
rough mountain roads.Thus I could
anchor the cup in the console and mostly free up that hand, except as needed,
for other tasks.All of the coffee was
forced to enter a constricted space which made dealing with the entire mass
possible with less resources (one finger).

With a
bolt of light from cloudy skies over Cold Mountain I thought of Spartans
holding the Hot Gates!I remembered
running a soccer ball up the field with players blocking each other from
getting to me all at once.I thought of
the bathrooms at Cataloochee Ski Resort, one toilet available for a squad of
would be squatters not so patiently praying profanities for the endurance to
make it a few more minutes.With this in
mind a great drill came to mind and we tried it that very day.It is well worth recreating if you have a
class.Slow sparring; grabs or strikes,
grappled and attacks done safely against a defender or each other is a good way
to analyze technique, build creativity, gain attributes and reinforce
principles.After warming up by making
sure students know how to remain under control and respectful, allow a student
to defend against multiple attackers in slow to medium motion.Get them moving, protecting, aggressing,
changing levels, and of course getting hit.In our class we arranged large pads to make a corridor that simulates an
entry way or hallway.The attackers are
coffee, the corridor is the spout!Start
in the middle of the room and notice how the fight feels; the overwhelming
numbers, the chaos, the difficulty.Have
students work towards the entry way being especially destructive to anyone that
might slip in before them.Step over and
on said persons making use of the step as a final crippling blow.As the defender moves into the corridor the
fight energy changes.The effect of
numbers begins to dwindle and incredible damage can be inflicted by a student
now fighting against one single angle of attack.In reality the horrible violence that occurs
to the first few people into the corridor, who quickly become floor mats for
their friends causing tripping and stumbling, a further decrease of mobility,
has an effect on the mind of the mass.

Like
the coffee, the multiple attackers while superior in strength and number,
become manageable with less resources; even for a time, stoppable. In effect this drill teaches an individual the
value of limiting enemy mobility while maintaining personal mobility to some
degree. Watch out for goat paths.Being
surrounded in a constricted position is a weak position.Be aware that a closet may limit attacker
effectiveness but also limits mobility.The
trade-off may be worth it for temporary survival; consider Helms Deep!In general as mobility comes to a stop the
battle quickly tips in favor of the more agile contender.This is a Universal Principle and can be
applied to tank warfare, naval strategy, small team tactics, the propagandist, nuclear
arsenal survivability and individual combat.

Limiting
mobility is not physical only.I once
handled a potentially dangerous situation by talking a group of attackers into
one on one confrontation, starting with the tallest member – it was an offer he
could not say no to.It also stopped the
group from killing me.I was able to
walk away from that episode because their numbers were blocked at a choke
point; a psychological corridor, built by ego.

Think how your martial art
addresses mobility and honestly ask if you have emphasized it in some way as a
study in itself.Think of stances,
evasions, and even body conditioning to keep you going as your opponent slows
down.

And next
time you order your favorite beverage sit for a time and consider what wisdom
it has to teach.But don’t sit too long.We are like a car; idleness is the enemy of our own
flesh and blood.

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LOTS Information

LOTS Wilderness LLC, is a premier experiential education center in western North Carolina. Summer camps give students the opportunity to track, study edible and medicinal plants, stealth, sailing, hiking, bow hunting, crafts and music in one of a kind 1 to 5 day sessions that preserve traditional knowledge of the Appalachian frontier and native Cherokee. We also offer after school classes year round in a variety of self-defense systems collectively known as Integrated Martial Arts for all ages and ability levels. Participants train in Tang Soo Do, Filipino arts, Kenpo-Jiu Jutsu, Jeet Kune Do concepts, and functional fitness among other topics.